The adage ‘If you fail to prepare, then you should prepare to fail’ rings true in sales and in all other professions. Many sales professionals expect to surpass sales quotas become top producers and achieve success without adequate preparation. This lack of preparation results in frustration and discouragement.
How passionate are you about selling? You might be tempted to ask what passion has to do with preparation. If you are not passionate about selling then preparation becomes drudgery since you will only be going through the motions. You may be selling with the intent to pay your monthly expenses and meet financial goals. These goals provide motivation but not passion. Passion itself provides motivation making it easier to sell and to prepare. If you are not motivated to sell then you should not expect the customer to be motivated to buy your product.
To prepare effectively you need a written plan. This written plan should be a way to help you achieve your goals. Sales professionals should have above average goals so that they can prepare more n depth and with more vision.
Preparation is a part of the planning and both work hand in hand. When following a written plan you must prepare for each stage outlined in such a plan.
Preparation is also vital in order to have thorough product knowledge. If your customer knows more about your own product than you do then most likely they will not buy from you. This can be very embarrassing for sales professionals because they are supposed to be prepared and know their products. Missing out on a sale because of a lack of preparation is inexcusable and should never happen. It shows that you are not motivated or take the sales seriously.
Finally, preparation requires practice. For instance, if you were giving a presentation you would prepare by practicing until you can deliver the presentation flawlessly. If it is a sales pitch, you would also have to practice until you can deliver it perfectly. All sales professionals should strive to be adequately prepared which will result in more sales as well as personal and professional growth.
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